A Norse polytheist walking with Sigyn

Part One (Dynamics)

Dynamics

1) Owner / slave

Dom*: Owner, Master, Mistress, Other Title

sub: (god)slave, other names

As far as I know, most people who discuss this type of relationship have Deities as the Dom*, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for a Deity to approach someone as the sub. Goddesses and Deities that don’t fall within a certain gender can approach devotees with this dynamic in mind, so there may be other titles than ‘Master’ that can fit. This is what I categorize Godslavery as, however I would like to note that this is just my categorization. It’s possible for others to consider Godslavery to be different. This dynamic typically features turning over more of the human’s life to the Deity than some classify in the Servant dynamic.

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2) Servant oriented D/s

Dom*: Master, Mistress, Boss, Other Title

sub: personal assistant, servant, other names

Some consider this to still be a type of Godslavery, but I’ve separated the two because of the potential differences in what’s expected of the sub. Granted, this isn’t a set in stone definition, but a servant doesn’t always turn over as much of their life to the Dom* as a godslave does. The servant may be more focused on some sort of Work or a certain assignment, and the dynamic may not affect as many areas of their life as Godslavery can (just what relates to the work). From what I can tell, Deities also come forward more often as the Dom* in this situation, and They may have elements of this in other relationships (even outside of power dynamics).

From my exposure to devotees with devotional power dynamics, this is the only one that I’ve heard of where a Deity has come forward as the sub. This doesn’t mean that Deities don’t approach as the Dom*, and I would like to note that this doesn’t automatically mean that the Deity in question is stepping forward as a Parent (example: Daddy Dom* =/= Father, who was involved in conception). While other dynamics and non-dynamic relationships feature advice and guidance, this dynamic appears to really include those (with variations in whether the human is the Dom* or sub).

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4) Owner / animal [petplay]

Dom*: Owner, Master, Mistress, Other Title

sub: kitten / cat, puppy / dog, pony / horse, etc.

Petplay may have either the human or the Deity taking on actions and gear that help to make the animal mindset more obvious; frequently, the animal is a kitten / cat, dog / puppy, or horse / pony. I’m not aware of differences between using these terms, but some people make a personal distinction [applicable within their dynamic only] between petplay that includes sexual activity (example: kitten instead of cat) and petplay that doesn’t (example: puppy instead of dog). It appears to depend on mindset of the one being the animal, as some people can have less of a desire to act on sexual urges while less in touch with their human mindset, and some people are more in touch with instincts such as their sex drive.

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5) Master / Object

Dom*: Master, Mistress, Owner, Other Title

sub: Tool, Object, other names

This is a dynamic that I’ve only been aware of being used in certain scenes, so there’s a definite time when the Object leaves that mindset. It is usually mixed in with Owner/slave and Master/servant dynamics, though it could be brought up in other dynamics (and non-dynamics). I’m not aware of Deities claiming this dynamic outright, but I imagine They could borrow this when utilizing a devotee as a Tool or when putting a devotee on display. I’m honestly the least familiar with the specifics of this dynamic, but I’ve picked up that breaks are needed for the person as the Object to reconnect in human examples, so it may be less likely that a devotee would be in the Tool mindset for long periods of time for a Deity.